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Thursday, July 10, 2003

NewsRx.com - July 10, 2003

"The sexual attitudes and activities of 77 sexually abused and 89 comparison women (mean age = 20.41, SD = 3.38) were assessed 10 years after disclosure in a longitudinal, prospective study of the long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse," scientists in the United States reported.

"Abused participants were more preoccupied with sex, younger at first voluntary intercourse, more likely to have been teen mothers, and endorsed lower birth control efficacy than comparison participants," wrote J.G. Noll and colleagues, University of Southern California, School of Social Work.

"Findings also indicate that biological father abuse may be associated with greater sexual aversion and sexual ambivalence."

Noll and colleagues published their study in Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (A prospective investigation of the impact of childhood sexual abuse on the development of sexuality. J Consult Clin Psychol, 2003;71(3):575-586).

The publisher's contact information for the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology is: American Psychological Association, 750 First St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, USA.

The information in this article comes under the major subject areas of Pediatrics, Violence, and Women's Health. This article was prepared by Health & Medicine Week editors from staff and other reports.

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